Bead strip



April 22 1924.? 1,491,120

I A. VETTER BEAD STRIP Filed March 21. 1919 INVENTOR. A/berf Vef fer.

' A TTORNEY Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFWB. p

ALBERT VETTER, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIG NOR TO THE WILLYS-OVERLAND COMPANY,

OF TOLEDO, OHIO, AOORPORATION OF OHIO.

BELD srm.

Application filed March 21, 1919. Serial No. 284,142.

clare the following-to be a full, clear, and

exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in bead strips and securing means therefor, and while it is illustrated herewith in connection with the application of an ornamental beading to portions of an automobile top, the

invention'is not limited to the application of a beadin to a vehicle top, but may be employed'w erever it is found desirable to use a heading of this character.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved form of beading, which may be readily and economically manufactured, and easily applied wherever its use is found to be desirable.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for securing a heading of this character to a frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved interlocking means for securing two members together.

A. further object of the invention is to provide means for securing an ornamental bead to a frame member in such a manner that the securing means will'be housed. within and concealed by the ornamental bead.

A further object of the invention is to rovide an improved form of clip which may e employed for retaining two members in,

scope of the-invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

A structure constituting one embodiment of the invention, which may be the preferred, is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, in which:

Figure I is a perspective view of an automobile bodv illustrating the improved beading as'applied to the bows of the top.

Figure His a sectional view through the rear bow, taken along the line 11-11 of Figure I, and illustrating the manner of securing the bead strip to the how. 7

Figure 111 is a perspective view of a section of the bead strip.

Figure IV is a perspective View of one of the clips employed for securing the bead strip to a frame.

In the application of ornamentalbeading to vehicle frames, such as automobile tops and the like, it has been customary to employ rounded or semi-cylindrical strips of.

beading formed of aluminumor some similar metal, and having embedded in the under surface thereof at suitable intervals throughout the strips a plurality of nails which are adapted to be driveninto the frame member for the purpose of properly retaining the ornamental bead in position upon the frame. This form of head and the manner of applythe same has been found to be objectiona e by reason of the fact that when the frame member is formed of hard wood, as is the case in the construction of bows employed in connection with automobile tops, some of. the nails are apt to become bent or broken as they are driven into the wood, or some of the heads of the nails forced through the outer surface of the bead strip. The form of bead strip illustrated herewithand the method of applying the same to a frame member eliminates these objectionable features of bead construction, and also provides a form of head strip which can be manufactured more cheaply, and applied more easily -than that ordinarily em loyed. It will also be understood that the improved bead construction and manner of securing the same to a frame is quite as applicable to an'all metal bow, in which connection the usual construction of beadstrip could not be used, as the nails or staples secured to the strip and ordinarily employed to secure the same to a how could not be used since the nails or sta les could not be forced into. the all metal ow.

In the drawings, similar reference characters refer to corresponding parts throughout I vided with a front bow 11 and a rear bow 12, to which are applied strips 13 of the or namental beading described herewith.

The rear bow 12 as illustrated in Figure II, is covered with a strip of fabric 14 such as is ordinarily employed for the purpose of covering the bows of automobile tops, and has secured thereto, a rear apron portion 16, which is adapted to be secured at its lower end to the rear frame portion of. the automobile in the usual manner. The fabric 17 forming the cover portion of the top is adapted to be passed over the rear bow and secured thereto by the means employed for securing the ornamental beading thereto.

The usual finish beading 18 is provided with a narrow strip of fabric covering 19, the ends of which are adapted to lie against the rear surface of the bow and be secured there to in any desired manner, as by thesecuring means employed for attaching the beading to the bow.

Positioned at suitable intervals along the exterior surface of the rear bow, and in line with each other are a plurality of clips 20,

. each of which is adapted to be secured in poof, and extending inwardly toward the in sition and retained upon the bow by means of a nail or other suitable fastening means 21. Each of these clips is provided with a base portion 22 provided with an opening 23 formed therein for the reception of one of the nails 21, and each of these clips has a pair of side walls 24 extending at substantially right angles to the base portion 23, and so arranged as to be substantially parallel to each other and form with the base portion a channel-shaped member. The upper part of the side walls 24 is provided with an outwardly extending downwardly inclined flange 25, the outer edges of which are substantially parallel to each other, and which are preferably formed of resilient'material, The head strip 13 is of rounded or semi-cylindrical construction, and is provided with a pair of inturned flanges 27 pcsitioned upon the opposite side edges therener or central portion of the bead. After the clips or catches 20 have been properly positioned upon the frame member and secured thereto in such a manner that the corresponding side edges of the several catches are in substantial alignment, the

head strip 13 is placed thereover and pressed into close engagement therewith in such a manner that the inturned flanges 27 upon the bead member will snap over the outturned downwardly inclined flanges positioned upon opposite sides of the clips in such a manner as to engage beneath the under surfaces of these flanges, as illustrated in Figure II, and thus securely interlock the cooperating mating edges of the bead strip and clip, in such a manner as to securely retain the bead strip in position upon the frame member.

It will be understood that the cover strip let, the cover'portion 17 of the top, and the finish beading 18, together with the strip of fabric 19 carried thereby, are preferably all properly positioned upon the bow and securedin place thereon by means of the nails -or other suitable fastening means employed for securing the ornamental, beading to the bow. Howeverfif it is found to be desirable, separate securing means may be employed for attaching these parts to the bow in' such a manner as to properly hold them in position relatively to the bow while the clips 20 are being applied thereto. After the application of the clips '20, the nails or other fastening means employed for secur taching the same to the wood bow as shown and described herewith. In the application 'of the ornamental beading to an all metal bow, machine screws are preferably substitutgd for the nails 21, and the farbic portions 14, 17 and 19 may or may not be separately attached to the bow prior to the application of the clips thereto. It will. be understood that the clips 20 to be used in connection with all metal bows are identical in all respects to those employed with the wooden bows and are positioned upon the bow in the same manner to permit a ready application of the ornamental beading thereto.

The bead strip 13 and the inturned flanges 27 formed integral therewith, are preferably made of resilient material, so'that upon pressure being exerted upon the bead strip, the

formed of resilient material in such a manner'that the out-turned flanged portions thereof will be bent inwardly under the pressure exerted upon the bead strip and then returned to their original positionsafter passing the edges of the in-turned flanges 27. It will be seen that the ed es of the outturned downwardly inclined anges 25 are substantially parallel with each other, and also to the edges of the in-turned flanges 27 formed upon the bead strip, thus insuring the proper en agement of the in-turned flanges 27 by t e out-turned flanges 25 of each clip member. While it is believed to be referable to form the bead strip of more resilient material than the various clip mem-"- bers so that the in-turned flanges '27 will be thrust apart as the bead strip is forced against the clip members, thereby sliding over the out-turned flanges 25 and engaging behind the same for the purpose of locking.

the members together,-it is apparent that the bead strip ma be made of rigid material and the clips ormed of sufficiently thin resilient material so that the out-turned flanges 25 thereof will be forced towards each other as the bead strip is pressed there-against, and thus slide over and engage behind the inturned flanges 27. It .will be understood, therefore, that either or both ofthese members may be formed of resilient material, thus permitting either or both sets of 00-0 crating flanges to be thrust out of their original position for enga ement behind the co-operating flanges carried by the other members'for the purpose of-securing the two members together.

While I have shown and described in considerable detail a specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this showing and description is illustrative only, and for the purpose of rendering my invention more clear, and that I do not regard the invention as limited to the details of construction illustrated or described, nor any of them, except insofar as I have included such limitationwithin the terms of the following claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention broadly as well as specifically.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vehicle structure, a frame member, a plurality of clips fixed thereto and having inclined faces formed at opposite sides thereof, and a bead strip adapted when pressed against said inclined faces to engage over the same and thereby be secured to said frame.

' 2. In a vehicle structure, a frame member, fabric overlying said frame member, a bead strip having inturned edge portions and means comprising clips for securing said fabric to said frame, said clips having inclined edge portions whereby when said bead strip is ressed against said clips its inturned e ges ride over said edge portions.

3. In a vehicle structure, a frame member, fabric overlying said frame member, a sheet metal bead strip, havinginwardly projecting edge portions, and a plurality of sheet metal clips each having a backwardly inclined edge portion whereby when said head strip is applied directly to said clips it is caused to spread and to automatically interlock with said clips.

4:. In a vehicle structure, a frame member, a fabric cover therefor, means comprising a clip for binding said cover to said frame member, said clip having a flat central portion and backwardly inclined edge portions,

and a transversely curved bead having in- 1 turned edges adapted to slide over said inclined edge portions and become locked against disengagement therefrom.

5. In a vehicle structure, a frame member, a fabric cover therefor, means comprising a series of clips for securing said cover to-said frame member, each of said clips having a central fabric engaging portion bordered by upstandin portions the outer edge portions of which s ope rearwardly, and a rounded resilient bead having inturned edges said bead being adapted to spread when pressed against the sloping portions of said clips and become hooked thereover.

6. In combination, a bead strip made of resilient sheet metal. and having inturned side edges, a plurality of clips each of which is adapted tobe secured to a support and is provided with downwardly and outwardly inclined edges spaced from the su port, whereby said bead strip may be presse .u on said clips to the end that its side edges s all ride over the inclined side edges of the clips and engage therebeneath.

7 In combination,a bead strip havin in turned side edges, a plurality of resi ient metal clips, each of which is adapted to be secured to a support and is provided with downwardly and outwardly inclined edges spaced from the support, whereby said bead strip may be ressed upon said clips to the end that its si e edges shall ride over the inclined side edges of the clips and engage therebeneath. I

In testimony whereof, I aflix my 81 ature.

. ALBERT VE ER. 

